The Burning of Kai Kao
by Wrote Too Soon
Summary: It was a dark day in the village when a firebender attacked Kai and her classmates at school. Now, after nine years, Kai has come to Republic City, a place she had told herself as a child she'd never go. Things change though, and although the woman who abandoned her lives there, she is dead set on destroying the firebender who attacked her. Bolin/OC (Title subject to change.)
1. Whores and Homosexuals

It was clear that the Triple Threats didn't like her. She had gotten them into police trouble on more than one occasion and she hadn't even been in Republic City for a whole week. But, she supposed, anyone who didn't know the reasoning behind what was going on, the sight of a girl who had just moved to Republic City being surrounded by the Triple Threat Triads would have been an unnerving one. If it wasn't that time in the night where everything but nocturnal animals is asleep, she was sure someone would have called the police.

As it was, their timing was impeccable, their planning marking everything that would happen to a 'T'. Yet, the only way to truly understand what was going down; one would have to know the events that took place in the past few days.

X

The sounds were overwhelming her: the melding of people talking, people screaming at each other, people rushing and/or shoving by, Sato-mobiles driving by; every other sound that made up the natural soundtrack of Republic City. She wasn't used to so much activity and for the first time since she'd left the island, she was wondering if it was the best idea to do as she had.

She cursed herself at the thought. If she started thinking like that it would only be letting her father's ideals win. She wasn't about to let that happen. So, she stood there. In the middle of the street, one bag filled to the brim with her belongings slung over her back, and only a thousand yuans to her name, she took a deep breath and headed towards an area that she could sense more so, than see was less crowded.

Walking into the alley way, she sat down on a rock and rubbed her temples. How was she supposed to find where she needed to meet the lady if she could only get through the crowds of people in short spurts? She pulled the crumpled letter from her back pocket and read over it again. She sighed irritably and reached for her ponytail.

"What are you doing in these parts of town, girly?" the voice of a kid that had grown up on the streets all his life but had only just started to hit puberty filtered through her ears. "It ain't smart."

"I'm trying to get out of the crowds." She told him. She yanked her ponytail so that her head was pulled back to stare at the sky.

"You're new to Republic City, aren't ya?" he asked, but she was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," she replied, pulling at her ponytail again, a nervous habit she had developed when she was thirteen. "You wouldn't happen to know where the corner of Clutch and Able would be, would you?"

"Why?" the kid asked, and she could hear the disgusted curiosity in his voice.

She rolled her eyes. She was aware of the sketchy atmosphere of the area. The lady she had been corresponding with about the job had told her the area's reputation. She had dealt with areas like that before on Orta, they were less densely populated than this place was sure to be, but the same concept applied and she was prepared. "I'm supposed to be meeting a lady there to discuss the final detail of a job."

There was a long pause of silence, and she looked over at the boy she was talking to. He was fairly tall, so she assumed that he was about thirteen or a really young fourteen. He wore clothes browned by the grime of living on the streets and a ratty newsboy cap sat perched on his head. His dirt and ink smeared face was pulled into a disgusted, judgmental look and she quickly realized why.

"Not like that!" She hit the kid over the head.

"Hey!" the kid yelped rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"You know exactly what it was for, noodlebrain," She snapped at him with a slight sneer. She was standing now, her arms crossed across her chest and her hip stuck out slightly.

"Alright, alright," he sighed, still rubbing his head trying to soothe the spot where he had been stricken, "I'm sorry I thought you'se was a homosexual." She raised an eyebrow expectantly, "And a tramp." He grumbled.

"Apology accepted," she remarked standing and brushing off her pants. "What's your name, kid?"

"Well it ain't kid," he grumbled, "And it ain't noodlebrain neither."

"Well it _isn't_ kid," she corrected with and eyebrow raised, "And it _isn't_ noodlebrain, _either_."

"Skoochy," he grumbled, embarrassed by her correcting his speech.

"Kai," she extended her hand towards him, "Kai Kao." Skoochy shook (rather awkwardly if she could say so) and followed her back out onto the streets.

"What brings you to Republic City, Kao?" Skoochy asked her as they continued down the street.

"Job opportunities," she told him. Skoochy raised an unconvinced eyebrow at her, "And getting away from my father."

"What he do to you?" Skoochy asked.

"It's not something I want to talk about right now." Kai grumbled. Skoochy shrugged in acceptance of her answer. There was something about street kids that was different from those with homes and families. Street kids understood not wanting to talk about your past. As long as it didn't come and drag them down with you they didn't care. That's what Kai liked about street kids, they didn't pry.

They were coming down another dingy street when she heard the cry. Kai stopped walking. Skoochy continued to walk down the street, ignoring the scream. Kai glared after him hoping he'd catch on that she had stopped walking. When he didn't, she walked up and grabbed him by the shoulder. "There's someone in trouble down here." She remarked and started walking in the direction of the cry.

"Are you crazy?" Skoochy whisper screamed. "That's Triple Threat territory."

"Who?" Kai asked.

"The Triple Threat Triad, they're a gang." Skoochy tried to explain as they continued to walk on. "These parts are their territory and they don't like people trespassing after dark."

"It's not trespassing unless they have legal documentation that it's their property." Kai told Skoochy.

"That's not gonna stop them!" Skoochy whisper screamed, irritated by her prattle on small town ideals.

Kai sighed irritably and turned to the young teenager, "You're missing the point, kid." She told him, her green eye meeting his. "Gang or not, there is someone in trouble over here and I'm not going to stand idly by and let it happen."

"The police department hates vigilantes, Kai." Skoochy told her. "If Saikhan finds out about this, he's going to hunt you down." Kai rolled her eyes and broke out into a run as the sound of another cry filled her ears.

The two were soon on the scene. "W- we d- don't h- have any m-muh-money," an older of two siblings stuttered out in a squeak.

"Money isn't the only form of payment, doll." A nasally voice told the little girls. She couldn't see the owner of the voice, nor his two companions, but she could see their shadows casting themselves over the two girls. Kai turned to Skoochy and knelt down to his height.

"Will you do me a favor?" She asked the kid.

"Get you out of here?" he assumed, "Sure." He grabbed Kai's wrist and was about to take off running from the area.

"No," Kai sighed, "I need you to run down to Clutch and Able and meet that lady for me. Tell her I sent you, and she'll tell you what she was going to tell me. I'll meet you where we met earlier tomorrow morning, alright?" she asked him.

"What are you going to do?" he furrowed his brows.

"I'm going to help those girls out." She nodded towards the two scared, shivering girls that were about to be assaulted.

The boy opened his mouth to protest, not wanting his strange new friend to get into trouble that she didn't need on her first night in Republic City. She cut him off though, "I can take care of myself, Skoochy."

He raised an eyebrow in doubt. She held up her pinky, "Promise." He nodded, quickly linked his pinky with her before running off towards Clutch and Able, hoping he rightly put his faith in her.

* * *

**A/N: I'm normally not a fan of this story line, but I got this idea in my head a while back and it wouldn't leave me alone. So, here's the beginning of the story. Hope you like it.**

**Don't forget to comment, follow, and favorite!**

**Post to ya later,**

**~Wrote Too Soon**


	2. Attempted Rape and Vigilante Justice

"Leave them alone," Kai yelled as she stormed over to the rape that was about to happen.

"Oh ho ho," the nasally voiced man chuckled, "Ain't yew a pretty little thing?"

"Heh, heh, she sure is boss," one of the men standing behind the nasally voiced, shorty said.

"Shut up Mickerson," Shorty snapped at the large man that just spoke. The man then snapped his fingers and the two larger men that had been standing behind shorty restrained the two girls.

"Why don't I cut you a deal, sweetheart?" shorty offered. "You give us what we want, and we'll let the little ones go free." He smiled a slimy grin, his eyes raking her body perversely, his hand going to her waist.

"No!" The older of the two quivering girls called out.

"Don't do it!" the younger one agreed with her sister.

"Wasn't planning on it," Kai grunted out and stomped her foot. With the movement a rock column shot up and nailed the nasally voiced man in the nuts.

"You're gonna pay for that, bitch," he wheezed as he dropped to his knees grabbing himself.

Within moments, she had entered a fight with the two larger men, which she quickly learned were an earth-bender, like her, and a fire-bender. _Way to start fresh, Kai…_

X

It had been three hours since Korra had come to her and Tenzin with the news that Ikki and Jinora had walked off. "I'm so sorry Tenzin," Korra repeated, "I don't know how I'll ever make up for this."

Lin heard Tenzin sigh, "Right now, let's just find Jinora and Ikki." Korra nodded and they continued down the street quickly.

"Jinora!" the group of three called out, "Ikki!"

"No!"

"Don't do it!" Lin heard two different people yell desperately.

"That was them!" Tenzin exclaimed and they took off towards the voices as fast as they could.

Coming around the corner that led to their destination they saw a group of Triple Threat Triad members fighting a girl in traditional Earth Kingdom colors. By the looks of it, they had come towards the end of the fight. The group's waterbender was already down, and the earthbender was getting there.

Lin watched as the Triple Threat earthbender heaved a boulder from the street and sent it towards the girl. The girl brought her arm up, stopping it in the air, showing that she was an earthbender. The girl let it hover for a moment before sending it back at the earthbender. He dodged the rock, and it went sailing into the window.

The man went to take a step towards the girl, and just as his foot was about to touch the ground the girl stomped her foot and a thin rock column shot up underneath it. It caught the man's foot and sent his leg up into the air, and the man toppling backwards. The girl stomped her foot again making a rock pop up right where the man's head was going to land. His head hit it, and he was knocked out.

Tenzin went to run to his daughters, but Lin stopped him by erecting a rock wall in front of him. The girl did the same thing in front of Ikki and Jinora, who had been holding each other in fright, just as the firebender sent a blast of fire at the two young girls.

"Your fight is with me," she sneered, digging the inside of her foot into the ground. A trail of rocks popped out of the ground and shot its way towards the firebender, making the ground look like a badgermole had begun to burrow underneath it. Doing the same movement with her other foot the trail doubled in width and speed. A quick, short, jerky slicing movement of her hand split the trail in half, sending them to each of the man's feet. The man didn't notice them until he had fallen over onto his face.

Before he could reach the ground though, she bent her arm at a ninety degree angle, held it in a horizontal position, and pulled it up making a short rock wall shoot up from the ground, this one nailing the firebender in the forehead.

Lin brought down the wall that was blocking Tenzin, and allowed him to run to his daughters to make sure they were okay. Lin went to walk over to the girl, but stopped when she saw her turn a quarter of a circle, her left side now to the wall of the alleyway that Tenzin and his daughters were in. She made a downward slicing motion with her left hand, and a ramp popped out of the wall. This caused a group of rocks that had been on a course to crush Tenzin and his girls to roll off the ramp, soar over Tenzin and his daughters' heads, and land right in front of the Triple Threat earthbender's head, a medium size rock hitting him on the back of his head knocking him out once more.

Tenzin turned to the earthbending girl, "Thank you," he told her.

"These men will be tried and arrested for their crimes," Lin told Tenzin easily. "What's your name young lady?"

"Kao," she replied, "Kai Kao," and Lin could tell she was uncomfortable.

"Next time," Lin told the girl harshly, "Leave the police work to the police. I don't know about where you come from, but I don't tolerate vigilante justice in my city."

"One, last I checked you were no longer the Chief of Police here, Ms. Bei Fong." the girl crossed her arms across her chest and cocked her hip, "And two, I was just supposed let the two girls get raped?"

Lin opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by the girl continuing her rant. "I guess I was just supposed to leave it to the officers to find the culprit after you found the two girls with their clothes torn, bodies bruised, and their innocence ripped from their bodies? Yes, because that makes total sense."

"Watch your tone with me, young lady." Lin spat out.

"I really can't thank you enough," Tenzin cut in, his face morphed into a look of as if he had been stricken, "If there's anything I can do for you, you let me know."

"Yes sir," Kai replied with a nod.

"Let's get you two home," Tenzin told his daughters after he was sure the two of them were as okay as they could be. He then lifted Ikki up into his arms and took Jinora by the hand.

"Where are you staying, Kai?" Ikki asked the girl as she began to walk in the other direction. The earthbender paused in her step for a brief second.

"You don't have anywhere, do you?" Jinora asked at the girl's pause in her step. Kai turned around embarrassedly her cheeks flushed red, not making eye contact with any of them, and shook her head.

"Then you are more than welcome to stay with me and my family on Air Temple Island, my wife would love to have you." Tenzin spoke. Lin glanced over at the man, masking her shock.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't take the offer," She sighed resignedly, her cheeks still red, "but I really do need a place to stay. Thank you."

"Let's go home, Daddy." Ikki spoke tiredly, wrapping her arms tightly around her father.

"Yes, let's." Tenzin agreed with his youngest daughter. Lin felt a sudden rush of grief take over her body at the sight. Something she almost got mad at herself for, she locked those thoughts away in the far away crevices of her mind almost immediately after it happened. Why was she all of a sudden feeling strange feelings of regret now?

She shook the feelings away and continued to escort her old friend, his children, his children's savior, and his student to the ferry docks without another thought on the subject. She watched the boat they boarded until it was half way across the body of water that separated Republic City from Air Temple Island, before turning on her heal and heading home.


	3. The Noodle Shop Down the Street

_ "__It's only for the first few days I'm in the city," Kai told Pema nervously, tugging at her fraying belt loop, Councilmen Tenzin (the father of the two girls who she had saved)'s wife. "I plan on having a job soon and using that money to buy my own apartment in the city."_

_ "__Nonsense," Tenzin's much younger wife voiced, "You're welcome here as long as you need to be."_

_ "__Thank you," Kai replied softly. Her expression turning sad once the woman's gaze turned away from her as she took her daughters into her arms. Kai's experiences with mothers were few and far between, never having met her mother until just recently. Her mommy issues were something she tried not to think about, but recent events and Pema's kindness had drudged the dreaded thoughts up. She forced them back down, not wishing to think about them tonight. The yawn she let out soon after she had spoken proved that._

_ "__Korra," Councilmen Tenzin asked, "Could you show her to one of the guest room's please?"_

_ "__Of course," the girl that had been with Councilmen Tenzin and former-chief Bei Fong replied. "Follow me," she told Kai and Kai did as asked._

_ "__I'm across the hall if you need anything." Korra explained to Kai, "If I'm not there, my friend Asami's room is at the end of the hall. On the boy's side of the house there's Bolin, Mako, and Meelo. Meelo's Tenzin and Pema's oldest son, Mako's my boyfriend, and Bolin's his younger brother. Pema's usually got her hands full with Meelo and the baby, so if Mako or Bolin aren't there, there's usually an air acolyte around. Pema usually has breakfast ready at around seven in the morning. I know it's early, but her food's amazing, you don't want to miss out on it."_

_ "__Alright," Kai nodded, trying to make not of all the information. "Thank you for the help. I think I'm going to turn in for the night, though."_

_ "__Alright," Korra replied with a smile, "I'll see ya in the morning."_

_ "__See ya," Kai replied__with a small smile before sliding her room's doors shut. The young earthbender dropped her bag to the floor and then walked over to her bed and collapsed on it. She was out like a light soon after her head hit the pillow._

Kai didn't actually see Korra in the morning. The girl was up earlier than her and out of the house to the training grounds with Tenzin, or so his wife had told her. Kai had eaten breakfast with the woman and her children, facing a quickly spoken and brutal interrogation from the youngest daughter of Avatar Aang's son, Ikki.

Ikki wasn't able to finish her questioning though, because halfway through, Korra's boyfriend, Mako, came into the room wondering where his brother was. No one at the table had known, but Kai quickly finished her breakfast and then offered to help him look. It had taken a little coaxing from Pema, but the firebender agreed eventually.

That's what Kai had been doing for the last four hours, but she was now heading to the spot where she had met Skoochy, ready to see what the details of her job was from the lady that she had him meet at the corner of Clutch and Able. Kai was stopped though, because in a place as big as Republic City, you know there's something wrong when a group starts to build around one area. So, it was for that reason that Kai made her way through the crowd to the front. Standing there, she saw a guy tied to the pole the crowd was standing around.

Kai sighed irritably, irritated that her plans to meet up with the kid she had befriended the night before were being interrupted by people being stupid. She slipped off one of her metal cuffs, metalbending it into a blade. She then walked up to the pole, where a reporter was taking a picture of the boy tied up. "Move," she told the guy.

The reporter looked down at her in a condescending amusement, "Who died and made you–" Kai flashed him the blade and the reporter quickly scurried off. Kai got close enough to the pole and began sawing through the rope that was keeping the boy tied up to the pole.

While she sawed through the rope, she took the time to study the boy. She could tell by the build that the boy was an earthbender; he was strongly built, his shoulders broad and his muscles bulky, but not too bulky. He had dark brown hair that was combed back in exception to a single curl that hung in the center of his forehead, which sloped down into a cute button nose. _Cute, Kai, really?_

In the time she got distracted by scolding herself for her wording, she had gotten a little close to his hand, and he let out a squeak of fear. Kai muttered a quick sorry before quickly getting back to severing the rope. Soon after that she was taking a few steps back and the rope fell away and the boy jumped down. "Thank you!" He exclaimed loudly and wrapped her in a lung crushing hug that lifted her off the ground.

"Put me down," Kai demanded swatting his arm.

"Sorry," he said quickly setting her back onto her feet. Kai could tell he was about to further thank her, but he was cut off,

"There you are!" Skoochy's voice came from behind her.

"What are you doing here, Skoochy?" the boy Kai had just cut down asked.

"'Sup Bolin," the boy nodded at the earthbender, ignoring his question with a smirk.

"What've you got for me, kid?" Kai asked him, starting to walk towards the smell of food.

"So, the lady who wrote you thinks her husband's cheating on her. Says she's willing to pay whatever for you to get the money shot," Skoocy told her quietly, but loud enough to be heard over the Republic City lunch rush.

"Alright," Kai dug around in her bag for a pen and pad of paper, "Did you get her address?" she asked, prepping to write it down. Skoochy nodded and told her. Kai quickly wrote it down and thanked the boy. She was about to speak again when a very loud grumbling sound came from her left.

Kai looked over at the boy she had cut down from the pole who was glancing down, rubbing the back of his neck. "When was the last time you ate?" Kai asked him.

"Yesterday at lunch," the guy muttered embarrassedly.

"Spirits," Kai sighed while pinching her nose. "Come on," She grabbed Bolin by his bicep and then Skoochy by his collar when he went to walk away.

"Let go 'a' me!" Skoochy said as he tried to wiggle out of her grasp.

"No," Kai deadpanned.

"Where are we going?" Bolin asked.

"To the noodle shop down the street," Kai replied, "And while we're in the process of eating, you can tell me who the guys who tied you up were, and why they did it." Kai then dragged the two boys to the noodle shop they were close to.

* * *

**Side Note: If you think some of the scenarios or Kai's character is coming off as a little "Veronica Mars"-ish, she's one of the fictional characters i based her off of, along with Toph Bei Fong from ATLA (obviously) and Cana Alberona from Fairy Tail.**


	4. Plots and Noodles

Narook had seen many people walk in and out of his restaurant. Some were couples on dates, some were alone, some were groups of friends; all were different sorts. No stranger to his restaurant, though, prepared him for the trio that came in that afternoon at lunch.

A girl with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail with long side fringe hanging over her right eye, affectively covering it, dressed in earth colors walked in with one of his regulars, Bolin, tucked under one arm, and a street rat tucked under the other. "Uhh…heya, Bolin!" the owner of the restaurant called from the back.

"Hey, Narook!" Bolin replied jovially as Kai let him go.

"Heard about your run in with the Triple Threats, how'd you get down?" the man asked after Bolin had led Kai and Skoochy over to the counter.

"This lovely lady right here," Bolin slung his arm over Kai's shoulders and pulled her into his side, "Cut me down." Kai went rigid at Bolin's actions and then blushed furiously.

"That takes some guts kid, standing up to the Triple Threats like that." The owner told her.

"I fought some of them a few nights ago," she muttered watching as Bolin's eyes grow wide in disbelief and Narook's narrow in skepticism. "I was supposed to meet up with a woman for a job at a corner near the slums of town. I took a detour through an alley way that was apparently part of their territory when I heard the shouts of two little girls.

"You're that girl that saved the councilman's kids, ain't ya?" the owner asked Kai, who nodded in confirmation. "You got any idea how pissed the police are with you, girlie?" Narook asked her.

"Relatively, I mean, they're obviously pissed that more of the Triple Threats were terrorizing their city. The Chief's probably pissed that I decided to," Kai paused and then began to make air quotes as she spoke again, "'dish out vigilanty justice,' and their pride's probably been shot because a teenage girl was able to outdo them at their job."

"And you aren't scared of Saikhan?" Bolin all but squeaked out.

"He already had me escorted to the station this morning," Kai crossed her arms across her chest, "Trust me when I tell you we aren't on good terms." As she finished that statement she thought back to her meeting with Saikhan:

_"__You are in a lot of trouble, missy," Chief Saikhan said as he walked into the interrogation room._

_ "__It's Kai, actually, but you were close." She smirked, her arms crossed across her chest as she leant back in her chair._

_Chief Saikhan sneered at her, "This town is protected by my police force. We are the ones assigned to protecting this city. You can't just go around delivering vigilante justice; there are rules and laws of this city that you have to abide by!" he snapped at her._

_ "__Alright then," Kai shrugged, her face nonchalant, "Next time I'll just let the little girl get raped by the thug." Chief Saikhan sneered down at her. Whether or not it was at her being smart with him, or if it was at his lack of patrol on the city letting the two daughters of Councilman Tenzin nearly get raped by a miniscule percentage of Republic City's underbelly, Kai didn't know. Kai smirked either way, and leaned forward, going to stand. "Is that all, officer?" she asked, "Because I've got to get home."_

_ "__You can go," he all but growled at her._

_ "__Thank you," she lilted out as she stood and headed for the door._

It was now one of Chief Saikhan's main goals to get her arrested. The thing was: she wasn't doing anything illegal. Therefore, he couldn't arrest her.

X

"What do you want on your noodles?" Bolin asked her as he walked over with their tray of food.

"Nothing," Kai replied nonchalantly, "But what I would like, though, is to know why the Triple Threats tied you to a pole yesterday." Kai leveled him with a firm stare with her left eye.

Bolin looked around cautiously before he set their food down on the table and slid into the seat across from her and Skoochy. Skoochy took his noodles from Bolin and kept an unwavering gaze on them as he ate. "Well," Kai said with an attitude, urging Bolin to speak.

The earthbender boy sighed, "My brother and I did some work for them when we were little," Kai sensed his apprehension to her reaction rather than saw it on his face. Kai blinked, unfazed, making a gesture for him to continue his story. She watched him heave a sigh at her not running away at that small fact about him. "They got bored last night and decided to _'teach me a lesson about loyalty'._"

"And they're still on your tail because…?" Kai asked.

"Now, it's because I got down from the pole before they came and did it themselves." Bolin grumbled.

"Are you going to the police about it? Because not only is it assault, it's vandalism too."

"Why would he go to the–" Bolin cut Skoochy off,

"A police officer found me tied to the pole half-way through the night. He asked how I got there, and I told him." Bolin muttered. "The officer didn't do anything, not wanting to get on the Triple Threats' bad side, and Saikhan won't do anything about it either, probably."

"You'd be surprised," Narook voiced. "I read in the paper that the Metalbending Force was investigating a lead. Maybe that was just the final push to get Saikhan to actually start trying to slow the city's underbelly." The owner of the restaurant set a second bowl of noodles down in front of Skoochy.

The little boy looked up about to protest, but he was cut off by Narook, "On the house, kid."

"Thank you," he told the man.

"No problem." Narook told him before walking off.

"Why did you want to know?" Bolin asked Kai with his mouth full of noodles. Kai tried not to laugh at him.

"Oh, the people that were sitting behind use a few minutes ago were talking about how they heard that the Triple Threats were after whoever ratted them out." Bolin paled. "Don't worry." Kai told him as she took a large bite of her noodles.

"You know," Bolin commented, "For a girl, you sure don't eat like one."

"Excuse me?" Kai asked darkly.

"Nothing!" the boy squeaked quickly, "I'm sorry. Why shouldn't I be worried?" he tried to change the subject.

Kai, deciding it'd be better for her not to punch the boy in the face for the insult, knowing that he probably hadn't meant it the way it came out, replied to his question calmly, "I have a plan to keep them off of your tail." Skoochy looked to her his mouth crammed full with noodles.

"What?" Bolin voiced the fourteen year old's silent question.

"'Tis simple, really." Kai smirked and went on to divulging Skoochy and Bolin in on her plan.


	5. Whores and Triads

"A break out from the prison, can you believe it?!" the voice of a man filled Kye's ears.

"I'm starting to think calling for a new Chief of Police was a bad idea," another man's voice grumbled in reply.

"How are we supposed to feel safe in the city when there are convicted criminals running around our streets at night? Chief Bei Fong would have never let this happen." A woman added to the conversation, which was followed by the happy coo of a baby at the sound of its mother's voice.

Kai took the information she just gained and stored it away for later, knowing it'd come in handy, before walking into the film shop.

X

When night came around after she had expressed her plan to Bolin, Kai went to the apartment of the lady who had asked her to find out if her husband was cheating on her or not. She had followed him from his house, to the police station where he changed into the metalbending uniform, and from the police station, she followed him to a bar called the _The Shōjo_ on 76th street, which so happened, to be on Triple Threat Triad territory.

That's where she was now, (and where we began the story) and where she was being surrounded by a horde of Triple Threats…who were on motor bikes. "A pretty thing like you shouldn't be out so late," a cocky voiced called out, "Especially alone, on streets like these."

"All I'm doing is working, boys." She told them.

"Oh ho ho," the man chuckled. Kai's face fell into a sneer.

"Not like that asshole." She snapped angrily, turning back to her camera and snapping a picture of the man she had been trailing with a bimbo waitress from the bar on either arm. "I swear," she snapped a few more photos, "Why does everyone think I'm some spirits damned whore?"

"Why you getting pictures of that, sweetheart?" the only man who had spoken since the Triple Threats arrived asked her, genuinely curious.

"I was hired by a woman to find out whether her husband was cheating on her or not." She told the man with ease, "That metalbending officer that just walked out of that bar is the woman's husband."

One of the other men that were surrounding her snorted, "A police officer having an affair with a Shōjo waitress, ain't exactly news."

"So this happens a lot?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"You wait a few more minutes and five other officers 'ill come out looking the same as that one." He made a gesture to the man she had just gotten photos of.

"Interesting…" Kai spoke out loud. "You know why they do it?"

"For the sex," another one of the guys scoffed.

"I've been in this business a long time," Kai remarked, "It's never _just_ sex."

"They have a very lax age requirement policy," the leader of the group, the guy that had first spoke to her when they all drove up, spoke again, "And they've got a pretty interesting way of keeping their liquor license, don't ya think?" the man grinned mischievously.

"That they do," Kai replied, getting pictures of more officers as they walked out of the bar.

"We're in need of a private investigator of sorts, girlie, and …ugh…you seem pretty qualified," the leader spoke again, "You interested?" Kai raised an eyebrow at him, only looking over at him from the corner of her eye. "We'll make it worth your while." His eyebrows waggled suggestively.

"I ain't interested," Kai snapped. "I will, though, make you a deal."

"That ain't the way it wor–" Kai cut the second guy to speak to her off,

"You have three guys on their way to the slammer for double what they were originally in for," she stated easily, turning to face the group's leader dead on.

"So, what's it to you?" he snapped, now getting very angry with her.

"I've got this friend," she told him, "His name's Bolin." The man sneered deeply, "I need you to back off of him."

"No way in he–" The second guy who had spoken to her was cut off by his leader this time.

"You're payment?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll get your guys off their path to the slammer-gallows," she told him.

"Deal." The man replied. "You got until their trial date, or your friend's ours," _A week_, Kai thought to herself, _perfect._

"Understood," Kai told the man.

"Now get outta here!" the leader snapped at her. Kai rolled her eyes as she turned around and headed for the docks.

X

"Did they agree?" Skoochy asked her as she arrived at the docks.

"Yep!" Kye replied casually, her smile spreading a little wider when Bolin beamed at her.

"Now, the next part 'ill be a little tricky," she informed them as they continued down the street.


	6. Trials, Nose Bleeds, and the Chief

"I can't believe that worked." Bolin remarked aghast at how Kai was able to switch the evidence in the trial against the Triple Threats that had tried to rape Ikki and Jinora. Kai sat next to him, grinning in pride of her handiwork. Their victory was short lived though, because soon she heard Bolin curse under his breath.

"What?" Kai asked confused at his plummet it mood.

"My brother's spotted us," he told her, "Let's go," he grabbed her by the upper arm and they were quickly off in a run.

"Get back here Bolin!" Mako's voice filled her ears in a yell that was slowly getting quieter as they continued down the street and into the crowd.

"Where are we going?!" Kai exclaimed as they got closer to the docks.

"Air Temple Island!" Bolin replied. Kai quickly dug her heels into the ground and refused to budge. The force of the abrupt, unexpected stop caused Bolin to trip over his own feet and fall onto his face.

"Ooo," Kai voiced in a flinch at the thud. "Sorry," she added.

"No one's following us, and I don't want to have to go over there unless completely necessary." Kai told him. Her stance guarded, telling Bolin not to further inquire on what she meant.

Bolin sighed, resigned to the fact that he wouldn't get an answer on why she didn't want to go over there. That's why he decided to change the subject, "What do we do now?"

"We wait until tonight, and go to the trial." She shrugged. They began to walk to the park.

X

"You seem like you've done the whole 'get-other's-out-of-bad-situations-slash-find-out-information-someone-couldn't-get-on-their-own' thing before." Bolin remarked as they approached the park. That was a trend with them, going to the park that is.

The two earthbenders had been working together all week at Kai's plan to get Bolin off the hook with the Triple Threats, and migrating to park after their work for the day was done had become a habit of those days.

"My uncle worked in the private investigation business," Kai explained, "I picked up a lot about it by helping him out. I was at his place a lot. I received my private investigator's license when I turned eighteen."

"You're kidding," Bolin's jaw dropped.

Kai smiled wryly and shook her head, "Can't say that I am, noodlebrain."

Bolin began to rub the back of his neck awkwardly, "I know you aren't supposed to ask a lady her age, but…" Bolin trailed off.

"I'm nineteen," she told him understanding what he was trying to ask.

X

After walking through the park for a while, the two earthbenders bought some food from a vender. More over…Bolin bought it, even though Kai strongly argued against it. And by strongly argued against: Kai hit him in the nose with a small rock.

The hit to Bolin's nose was hard enough to make it bleed pretty badly. As soon as the blood started to flow Bolin had started to freak out, and Kai was grudgingly trying to apologize as she tried to staunch the blood. It was this position that Lin had spotted the two in.

The former chief of police began to walk over to the two who were sitting on a bench. As she got closer she started to hear them talking to each other. "Why didn't you tell me you were an earthbender!" Bolin's voice was more nasally because of the cloth that Kao had pressed against his nose.

"I thought you knew!" Kao replied nearly screeching.

"How could I have known? It's not like I've seen you fight or anything!" Bolin added.

"I don't know!" Kao snapped angrily in reply, removing the cloth and then placing a clean spot on the cloth back onto his nose.

"OW!" Bolin exclaimed pitifully, "That hurt!"

"It wouldn't _hurt_ if you stopped _moving_ so much," Kao replied.

"So I'm just suppoh–"

"What in the spirits' name are you two doing?" Lin cut their argument off.

"She hit me!" Bolin exclaimed petulantly, jabbing his finger in the direction of Kao. "With a rock!" he added.

Lin raised an eyebrow at the girl who was trying to staunch the blood seeping out of the teenager's nose. There were a few moments of silence that passed, and Lin watched Bolin elbow Kao in the side before the girl got the notion to speak in her defense. "He wouldn't let me pay for my own lunch."

"Generally, Kao, that's what they're supposed to do." Lin deadpanned. The two young earthbenders' face fell into expressions of mortification, both's cheeks flaring bright cherry red.

"We're not on a date!" they exclaimed in unison, quickly jumping away from each other.

"Then what, pray tell, were you two doing?" Lin pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Well…" Bolin began awkwardly, "you see…" Bolin continued to stumble over his words until Kao rolled her eyes and explained,

"This noodlebrain got himself into major trouble with some thugs. They're still after him, so we struck up a deal and were working on keeping our side of the deal upheld."

"If you're having trouble with one of the triads you should have gone to the police." Lin snapped angrily at the girl. "Not try to buy them off."

"One," Kao began, and Lin could tell the girl was getting extremely angry. "We aren't trying to pay them off; we're doing something much more illegal than that. Two," she continued, "Do you really _think_ that the _police_ would be any help? Saikhan only just started _attempting_ to even _slow down_ the gruesome underbelly that this city has! He wasn't going to do a damn thing about it."

Lin sneered down at the girl, "Watch your tongue with me, young lady." She snapped. Lin watched a falter flicker across the girl's face before it morphed into a sneer.

"Whatever," she grumbled. She turned to Bolin – whose nose had finally stopped bleeding – "Come on, Bolin," she grabbed him by the forearm, "We need to get to that trial." The two young earthbenders then walked off.

Lin watched the two start heading in the direction of the police station, their conversation still audible. "What was that about?" Bolin asked.

"It's complicated," Kao muttered. Lin raised an eyebrow in confusion at the girl's response. Lin made a note to herself to figure out what the young female earthbender had meant. There was obviously something that linked Lin to some part of her past, and Lin was going to find out what it was.

X

"Is that one of _your_ officers, Chief?" the waterbending member of the United Republic Council asked in reference to the picture of the metalbender officer that was schmoozing a waitress from The Shōjo as she hung on his arm.

"What? Uh…I can explain!" Saikhan tripped over his words trying to defend himself.

"I believe this is explanation enough." Tenzin spoke, "You are obviously unfit to handle the job of Chief of Police."

"In regards to the trial of Aiguo Lee, Geming Fudo, and Lee Mickerson, you are dismissed." The firbending councilwoman spoke.

"Somebody contact Lin Bei Fong!" The eartbending councilman ordered, "We need our Chief of Police back."

_Oh shit,_ Kai thought to herself as her eyes grew wide. She was not expecting that sort of reaction. Yeah, she had been trying to get rid of Saikhan but she wasn't expecting them to try and bring back Bei Fong. "Saikhan," Tenzin spoke, "We expect your uniform and the appropriate paperwork required on your part filled out and turned in within the week." Saikhan sneered at the floor, but nodded.

* * *

**A/N: So...I'm not sure how the impeeching of a Chief of Police would go down, but this is a fanfiction so...if you could suspend your disbelief for a few moments to over look that. That would be awesome ;)**

**Follow, Favorite, and Review,**

**Post to you soon,**

**~Wrote Too Soon**


	7. Community Service and Spinny Chairs

It was the very next morning that Lin Bei Fong came storming into her room to arrest her for tampering with evidence and working with a known, illegal Triad. And Kai was now sitting in one of the holding cells with two overly intoxicated men that kept eying _each other_ up. It was making her uncomfortable. She was distracted from her cell mates' behavior by an argument.

"I understand that what she did was illegal, Lin," Councilman Tenzin argued exasperatedly. "I'm just asking you to go easy on her. She's a smart girl Lin, and I don't want to see her future destroyed because she was helping out a friend."

"I can get her off with community service," Chief Bei Fong told the previous avatar's son, "and it won't go on her record, but that's as far as I'm willing to lessen her punishment."

She heard the Councilman give a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Lin."

Bei Fong let out an exasperated sigh, and then Kai heard her footsteps coming towards her holding cell. The Chief of Police pulled the cell key ring from her belt and unlocked the holding cell. "You'll report here at oh-eight-hundred hours starting tomorrow morning and will leave at seventeen-hundred hours every day for the next week, to work off your community service hours. Is that understood?" Bei Fong barked.

"Yes ma'am," Kai replied.

"Good," Bei Fong snapped, "Now go home." She barked. Kai nodded again and hurried off towards Tenzin who was waiting for her at the door.

X

"I heard what you and Bei Fong said to each other while at the station," Kai told Tenzin softly.

"I only wante–"

"I know," Kai cut him off, "I only wanted to say thank you for doing that for me, and for everything else you've done for me since I've come to Republic City."

Tenzin looked down at the girl. She was short for a nineteen-year-old, but not by much. She had pale peach colored skin and green eyes, but her right eye was covered by her dark hair's fringe. She seemed hardened by a past he wasn't sure anyone would be able to get out of her one day, but he could see a sort of sorrow in her visible eye. "Lin's going to want you pin your fringe back tomorrow." Tenzin told her.

Kai froze for a moment, before she continued walking. "The fringe stays," she replied firmly.

"I wouldn't test her, if I were you, Kai." Tenzin told her, "She can be very–" Kai cut him off again.

"I know, Councilman." She replied. "But…" the girl sighed resignedly, "I was injured badly as a kid, it covers the scars so I'm not stared at."

"Ho–"

"I'm not going to talk about that." Kai replied, and that was the end of their conversation.

X

Kai arrived at the police station fifteen minutes early, and just as Chief Bei Fong was walking out of the building to wait to meet her. When Kai approached though, Bei Fong didn't comment on her early arrival. Her comment was about something completely different than that, "You look like you're ready for a fight."

Kai smirked ruefully as she stood there in front of Republic City's Chief of Police, knowing full well that the woman was scrutinizing her. "I get that a lot."

From what Lin was able to learn about the girl from Tenzin, the girl was independent, stubborn, and had many very high, very hard walls built up. Lin made it a point to, in the time that the girl would be working around the police facilities, figure out the girl.

"Come with me," Bei Fong remarked before turning and heading into the police station. Kai followed silently, trying to hold back her yawns. "You have two jobs while you're here. One, you will act as secretary to the two detectives, Lu and Gang." Bei Fong spoke as they stopped in front of an empty desk that sat in front of two office doors. Bei Fong turned to face the young girl to see if she heard her. "Do you understand that?"

Kao gave a mock salute, "Yup." She chirped as she followed Bei Fong across a pavilion out the back door of the station to the school yard of the Bei Fong Metalbending Academy.

"Two," they stopped in front of one of the classes that was working outside. "You will wash the academy's uniforms Friday before you leave. Try not to screw anything up."

Lin turned around to make sure Kai understood everything to find that the girl had wandered over to one of the training grounds where a group of graduates were running drills. "Kao, what do you think you're doing?" she barked.

"Watching," she muttered, walking back over to the Chief.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't know what a training drill looked like." Lin commented.

"Where I grew up, my age group's population of benders was mostly water." She muttered.

"Just because there weren't many of you doesn't mean your training wasn't any less standard." Lin told her.

"I was one of three," Kai deadpanned.

"Three?" Lin asked the girl surprised. "Where did you grow up?"

"A small island at the exact midway point between the North Pole and the Earth Kingdom called Orta Island." She answered. "Not many people know it."

Lin went rigid for a split second at the sound of the name. _Out of all the places_, Lin thought, _how…_ Lin blinked those thoughts away, it wasn't possible. She had made sure she would never know who she was. Lin turned on her heel and headed back towards the station, sensing Kao following.

They made their way back into the station, and Kao walked over to and plopped down in what was now her desk chair. "Hey, this chair spins." She pushed herself from the desk and spun around twice before stopping and meeting Lin's gaze again. The older woman had one eyebrow raised.

"What?" she asked.

"Just get to work," Bei Fong sighed irritable, walking back to her office. _What did I get myself into?_


	8. First Names and Flathead Screwdrivers

It was her second day working off her community service hours at the Police Station, and Kai was presently trying to fix her type writer. She was digging around for a flathead screw driver and all she could find was Phillip's head. "Ah, flat?" Lu asked her as he walked up to her desk.

"Just as the spirits' made me," she quipped easily as she continued to dig around her desk area.

"Are you always this persnickety?" the tall, thinner man she was the secretary for asked her.

"Sometimes I'm even persnickety-_er_." She told him as she finally found a flathead screwdriver.

Kai went about fixing her typewriter, and as she did so she felt Lu through his arm around her. "So, Kai, can I call you Kai," Kai looked up at the man she was a secretary for with a raised eyebrow. "I consider you a friend, and a valuable asset to this station–"

"Well then, I hope we're still friends after I Taser you," Kai told the lousy detective.

"Lu, keep your hands to yourself." Chief Bei Fong snapped as she walked by. Kai tried to hold in her laughter as the man that was significantly older than her quickly pulled his arm away from her.

"I was hoping you could cover for me and Gang if snuck out left early." The man with bad facial hair asked.

"It'd be Gang and I," Kai corrected, "But sure." she told the detective and then went back to fixing her typewriter.

"Thanks sweetheart, now could you go get me this file from the cabinet over there?" he pointed to a cabinet all the way by the door that led out to the courtyard connecting the station to the Metalbending Academy.

Walking over to the filing cabinet, Kai walked past a group of boys in the Metalbending Academy uniform trying to be cool and turned the corner. As she rounded the corner, though, the feeling of someone squeezing her backside assaulted her body. She glanced around and saw one of the boys that she had just walked past. Her eyes quickly flitted to the name embroidered on his vest _'Wong.'_

Kai gritted her teeth behind the lips she had started to press together. Instead of kicking the kid in the nuts like she wanted to, Kai turned back to the cabinet she was supposed to be going through. She pulled out the specified file and began walking back to her desk. As she did so, she heard the Academy students snicker as she walked past. Kai tried hard not to let her anger show, silently planning on how she'd get them back in her head.

X

Lin watched from her office window as Kao walked over to a filing cabinet close to the door that led out to the Academy courtyard. As the girl did so, a member of a group of boys that were standing in the doorway reached out and groped the girl's backside. Lin waited for Kao's attack on them, but was surprised to see the girl ignore the perverted action and went about going through the cabinet's contents.

Finding what she had come for, Kao turned back around and began walking back to her desk. Lin saw the movements of the group of boys snickering as Kao walked by. Lin saw Kao's struggle to keep her anger in check on the girl's face. Yet, the young girl was able to do so as she walked up to the station's detectives' door and knocked. Lu opened the door and she handed him the file before quickly turning around and sitting down at her desk. A pensive look was on the girl's face, and Lin assumed the dark haired girl was planning her revenge.

Lin made a note in the back of her head that the girl was fiery, but calculative. She knew when and when not to strike in situations like this one. Lin couldn't help, but wonder if her – _No! You are _not _going to think about that._ Lin watched the girl working off community service hours for a few more minutes before turning back to some paper work she needed to finish.

X

Kai was on her way to the bathroom when she saw Lu and Gang looking extremely shady. Against her better judgment, the nineteen-year-old earthbender followed the two men she was acting as secretary for. They quickly looked back and forth around them as they headed towards the door that led out into the Academy courtyard.

She rolled her eyes, unamused. She snuck her way behind a filing cabinet, and just as they were about to open the door she made herself known.

X

"So _this_ is sneaking?" Lin was heading to the restroom when she heard Kao at the exit to the courtyard.

It had been about three hours since the incident with the Metalbending Academy students, and Lin was wondering if the girl was speaking to her assaulters or if it was someone else. Lin walked to an area she was able to see to exit door from, and saw Kao standing across from Lu and Gang who were trying to sneak out early.

Kao stood before the two men she was acting as a secretary to, her arms crossed and her visible eyebrow raised. This was when Lin took more of a notice of the nineteen-year-old's side fringe that hung covering her right eye. She made note to ask the girl about it later.

Lin noticed Lu and Gang looking as if they were creeped out by something, Lin furrowed her brows.

"You said you'd cover for us, girlie." Gang retorted to Kao's rhetorical question. Lin raised an eyebrow, turning to see Kao's reply to the accusation of sorts.

Kao held her chin between her thumb and forefinger, tapping it, giving off a faux pensive look. "You see," Kao remarked, "I don't recall ever having agreed to anything like that."

"Then what exactly did you agree to, Kao?" Lin spoke, finally walking over to the discussion.

"To lock the door to their office if they were able to sneak out early." She told Lin. "Meaning, I was only required to do anything if they were successful in sneaking out early."

"My office you two," Lin demanded of the two detectives, "Now." Lin heard Kao snicker as two men walked by. "It's five o'clock Kao, you can go." Lin told the girl.

"I have a first name you know," Kao told Lin.

Lin raised an eyebrow at the girl, "It's Kai," she told Lin slowly, "Kai Kao." Lin just rolled her eyes at the girl and walked back to her office.


	9. The World's Biggest Cockroach

It was now day three of Kai working as a secretary at the Police Station. She was currently typing up a report Gang had written out, and was surprised when she saw Chief Bei Fong walk out of her office with Bolin's older brother, Mako, that didn't like her very much. The dark haired boy was grinning like an idiot, and Kai could see part of Bei Fong's unamused impression. She tried hard not to laugh at the situation, but ended up softly snickering.

"What do you think she's laughing at, Lu?" Kai heard Gang say from behind her.

"I don't know, Gang, let's ask her." Lu replied and soon the shadows of the two men she was acting as the secretary of cast themselves over her.

"You know, civilized conversation usually begins with all parties facing each other." Kai replied smoothly as she continued to type.

"Well, then, I suppose you ought to turn and face us." Gang replied, and then Kai felt her chair being harshly spun around so she could face them.

"We have some things to discuss, girlie." Gang told her with an angry sneer.

"What?" she furrowed her brows.

"You ratted us out yesterday," Lu stated.

"Oh,…yeah,…right…" she muttered, only just realizing that they probably wouldn't have been too happy about that.

"Yeah," Gang snapped, "We want an apology."

"No,"

"We control whether or not you earn your community service hours, sweetheart," Lu commented. "He said apologize."

"And I said – wait for it – no." Kai leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "But," Lu and Gang smirked, "The next time you try and sneak out, I have a pantomime horse disguise you can use," she spun back around to her type writer, and then looked over her left shoulder at them, "Do either of you have any experience being a horse's ass?"

"I do believe she got you there, you two." Kai's head snapped around at the sound of Chief Bei Fong's voice. The older woman stood in front of her desk, her arms crossed across her chest, and Mako standing close behind her. "And I would like to remind you two that you do not control whether or not Kao gets her hours. I do. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Chief," Lu and Gang said quickly, nervously. Bei Fong looked down at Kai, her expression changed to one that was slightly softer. "And how are you?"

"I'm doing well, ma'am," Kai replied respectfully. Bei Fong nodded and walked off.

"Okay, girlie, how'd you get the Chief to like you that fast?" Gang asked.

"I have excellent time management skills, I'm great with people, and," her voice lowered to a faux sultry tone, "I have a very soothing phone voice." She smirked at the large detective and then went back to her typing.

X

_The Next Day…_

It had been four days since Kao had started working off her community service hours at the Police Station, and seeing as how Lin was the one to let her illegal actions slide, she was the one to keep the girl in line while she was a part of the station. To say Lin hadn't expected it would be such a hassle was an understatement.

Lin had watched the girl carefully, learning that she could be extremely persnickety when she felt threatened in any shape or form. What Lin didn't get though, was why Kao hadn't struck back against the boy who groped her two days before.

Lin got her answer that afternoon. It was Friday, that meant Kao was cleaning the Academy's uniforms. That also meant Lin hadn't seen the girl since she checked in with her that morning. Deciding she needed to check on the girl to make sure she hadn't gotten up to anymore illegal mischief, Lin went to stand.

Lin stood from her desk chair and headed for the Academy courtyard. Once at the glass door that led out there, she saw a crowd building around something. Lin's face fell into one of annoyance, _what the hell are they doing?_

Lin walked outside and onto the scene, the students parting to make a clear path for her to take. Lin got to the front and saw Kao, her hair a mess and her arms soaked with sudsy water, standing across from a tall boy who looked as if he could crush her with one hand; the boy that had groped her two days earlier.

"You the one who groped me?" Kao asked darkly.

"What if I did?" Wong asked haughtily.

"Well, I want to congratulate you. Shake your hand," Lin raised an eyebrow at this. "Congratulations!" Kao exclaimed sarcastically, "You've been awarded the World's Biggest Cockroach!" the students 'Ohh'ed.

"This award is given in recognition of your unparalleled lack of decency and humanity." Several of the students laughed. Kao continued with her same hostile sarcasm, "Bravo. You're going to die friendless and alone."

"Like I care about what you think. You're just the laun–"

"Shut up!" Kao barked, cutting off Wong. "If I want you to speak, I'll wave a snausage in front of your nose." Kao stepped forward so she was nearly chest to chest with Wong. Wong scoffed. The nineteen-year-old girl put one finger to the boy's chest. "And you may not care now, pretty boy, but _holy_ crap, are you going to care when I get my revenge on." Kao's voice took on a faux-perky tone, "By then, you'll be doing all sorts of caring."

The boy scoffed, and Kao grinned evilly in response. "I'm not kidding, Wong, you try and grab my ass again to convince yourself that you're not a loser, I will ruin your life, got it?" Wong sneered down at her, and Kao turned around and began to walk off.

"Grow a sense of humor," Wong spat out after her.

"I would if something funny would ever happen," Kao snapped as she continued to walk.

"Crazy bitch," Wong muttered.

"Yep!" Kao exclaimed sarcastically, "_That's_ me!" Just as Kao went to walk out of the group she made eye contact with Lin and halted in her steps.

"My office," Lin told her, "Now." Lin gestured for the girl to walk in front of her. Kao did as told, and headed towards the door that led into the Police Station.

Just as Lin went to follow the girl, one of Wong's training cords shot out after Kao and snapped against the girl's back end before Lin could stop the cord or warn the girl. Kao let out a gasp of surprise her hands flying to the assaulted area. Another cord shot out from Wong's gauntlets, and before Lin could stop the situation from escalating any further a sharp edged metal fan was flying through the air and slicing Wong's cord off of his gauntlet.

The fan flew back around and Lin watched as before it sliced through Kao's opened hand, the girl spread her fingers and the fan split into three pieces of metal. With a graceful movement of her hand, the pieces of metal wrapped themselves around Kao's arms as her gauntlets. Lin's brows raised just barely, impressed.

Lin met Kao's left eye, since the right one was covered by the girl's dark fringe. "My office," she told the girl, "now."

"I didn't start it! It wasn't my fault! That boy has a major attitude problem, and rich daddy syndrome! I am n–"

"Wong will be suspended for his actions," Lin told Kao.

"Oh," Kao sat down in the chair across from Lin's desk awkwardly. "Which ones?" she asked much more quietly. Lin raised an eyebrow at the question. "I saw you watching through your window," she jabbed her thumb back at the window behind them, "I had my suspicions that you saw him grope me when I went to get that file the other day, and you asking about my well-being yesterday confirmed it."

"How?" Lin raised an eyebrow suspicious.

"I grew up spending more time at my uncle's Private Investigation office that at my own house. I got my Private Investigator's license when I turned eighteen, did a few jobs on my own to raise some money, got a permit to validate my license in Republic City approved, lined up my first job, and then bought a boat ticket out here."

"What was that first job exactly?" Lin asked, gesturing for Kao to take a seat in front of her desk.

"To find out whether or not a lady's husband was cheating on her." Kao plopped down in the chair.

"And?" Lin asked.

"Remember Gosch?" she asked Lin.

"Yes," Lin stated bitterly.

"He was the husband." Kao told her.

Before Lin could say anything in reply to the story, the phones in the station all began to ring almost simultaneously. Lin reached for the phone and put it to her ear.

Quickly remembering that Kao was in the room, Lin turned to face the girl who looked shocked at the sudden assault on her ears. "This sounds like it's going to take a while." Lin told Kao. "You can go."

"Thank you, ma'am." Kao replied before quickly leaving the premises.


	10. The Satos and Triad Symbols

With the recent ending of the Avatar's war against Amon, Kai shouldn't have been as surprised as she was at what happened. Horashi Sato had publicly announced himself as an Equalist that was helping Amon build war machines. The city should have seen bender attacks on his house coming.

Yet, Kai was still surprised by what happened when she was told about it the next morning. "Oi, Kai!" Skoochy called out from behind Kai and Bolin as he walked her to the Police Station Saturday morning. Something he'd done every day that week.

"'Sup kid?" Kai asked smiling down at the fourteen-year-old.

"Ya heah abowt wha' went down on Pawk Avenew?" Skoochy asked as he approached.

Kai stopped, causing Bolin and Skoochy to quickly halt their walking. "No, What?" If Skoochy felt the need to ask her if she had heard, it was probably something she needed to know.

"Dis grewp ov Fiahbehnders tried ta uhttack da Sahtoh Estate. Da Chief's down dere right now, wif a whole team scourin' da area for evidence." Kai made the connection that it was probably what had had the station telephones blowing up when Bei Fong dismissed her early. The extra time she had used hanging out with Korra and Bolin at Central Park.

A look of worry crossed Bolin's face, because he knew Asami would be devastated. Kai started walking again, but instead of turning onto Rocky Willow Route to go to the Police Station, she continued to go straight. "You'se missed ya turn," Skoochy called after her while he and Bolin tried to catch up to her.

"It appears, boys, that we shall be taking a slight detour today." Kai spoke as they continued to walk down Main Street.

Soon they arrived at the Sato Estate where, true to Skoochy's word, police officers were scouring the area for evidence as to who it was. Kai was soon spotted by Chief Bei Fong who quickly approached her and her group of friends. "What are you doing here, Kao?"

"Trying to check in with you?" Kai replied as if it was obvious. Bei Fong pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed irritably.

"Just stick with Mako," Bei Fong barked in command. Kai very quickly walked over to her friend's older brother.

"I'm gonna go," Skoochy announced and went to walk off.

"Alright, later Skoochy," Kai called over her shoulder as she and Bolin approached Mako.

"Yeah, bye Skoochy!" Bolin called out after the boy waving as the fourteen year old ran off.

"So…how do you know him, again?" Bolin asked Kai as they continued to walk towards his brother.

"He helped me navigate the city when I first got here." She told him with a shrug, "Why?" She turned her face to look at him.

"No– No reason. Just– Just, you know, inquiring minds wanted to know." His eyes darted everywhere, looking everywhere but at her.

"If you say so," She furrowed her brows and looked to the ground trying to figure out what his deal was.

"What are you doing here Bolin?" Kai looked up at Mako as he demanded an answer from his younger brother. Despite working in the Police Station for the last four days, Kai didn't really see all that much of Mako. He usually did a lot of beat cop work, so he wasn't at the station all that often.

"Relax, hotman, he's with me." Kai told him.

"Like that's supposed to make me feel any better." Mako muttered under his breath. Kai could tell that ever since she had been brought in by Chief Bei Fong, Mako hadn't approved of her and his little brother's relationship.

Kai's fist shot out and nailed Mako in the arm. "Ow!" the firebender exclaimed.

"I heard that." She deadpanned. She felt Mako glare at her.

"What are you doing here?" he grumbled at her as he rubbed his arm.

"Chief Bei Fong told us to come over here with you." She remarked simply. "So what'd you find?"

Mako sighed irritably, "There's this symbol painted on the wall over here, but I'm pretty sure it's the Agni Kai's." he showed them the symbol painted on the wall, and Kai's face went pale.

"Kai," Bolin remarked concerned.

"Hey," Mako said just as concerned, "What's wrong?"

Kai tried to even out her quick breathing, "Th- that's not the Agni Kai's," she muttered.

"Then who's–" Kai didn't hear the rest of his question though, because everything went black.

X

"Chief Bei Fong!" Mako yelled urgently. Lin looked over to the boy and saw him standing next to his younger brother who had Kao in his arms unconcious.

"What in flameo happened?" she demanded angrily as she stormed over to the two brothers.

"She saw that symbol on the wall and froze up."

"You said it was an Agni Kai symbol," Lin snapped at the Beat Cop.

"She said it wasn't," Bolin interjected, "And she sounded really scared by it."

Lin sighed irritably, "Did she say what it was?"

"No Chief," Mako replied.

"I've never seen her scared before," Bolin muttered.

"Yeah," Mako agreed with his brother, "She looked terrified."

Lin pinched the bridge of her nose, "Get her back to Air Temple Island, and have Tenzin contact me when she wakes up."

"Yes Chief," Mako replied before escorting his brother and their unconcious friend away from the crime scene.


	11. Interrogations and Min Chang

It wasn't until several hours after Mako and Bolin had left with an unconcious Kao that she got a call from Tenzin. "Is she awake?" Lin demanded as soon as she picked up the phone.

"Yes," Tenzin replied, "Y–"

"I'm coming over immediately." Lin cut off whatever Tenzin was going to say and hung up, quickly going for the exit.

"You get word on how Kao's doing?" Lu asked her as she walked by.

"Yes, I'm going to question her now." Lin snapped, irritated that he had stopped her.

"Give her our regards, would ya, Chief?" Gang asked.

"Sure," Lin bit out before exiting the station.

X

_"__Everyone down in the corner!" Master Acchoda ordered the class. Master Adao quickly huddled the group of ten year olds as close together as possible._

_ "__What's happening?" Azule squeaked in her ear, wrapping her arms around her tightly._

_ "__I don't know," Kai whispered back just as scared._

_ "__Are you two stupid?" Troy snapped at them irritated. "That gang that's been attacking the town for the last month and a half is attacking the school."_

_ "__Why would he do that?" Azule asked weakly._

_ "__Because he doesn't know who's in here ready to fight him!" Dimitri brought up a few small rocks form the ground._

_ "__Don't be an idiot Dimitri," Kai snapped at her friend. "Some of us aren't even ten. We can't take an entire gang of full grown benders. They could be masters of their element for all we know." Her voice took on a scared quiver to it. Dimitri huffed out a pout._

_ "__It's alright everyone," Master Adao told them in her motherly voice, "Everything will be okay. The Island Guard is on their way."_

_ "__You foolish woman," a sinister voice filled the room. "Do you really think the Island Guard will be able to stop me?"_

_Kai shoved her way to the front, a choice she will forever regret, to see who was speaking._

_He was a tall man, about 6' 5", with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. A tattoo of a flame covered his right eye, the needed body part's iris, along with its counterpart, were a shocking ice blue with a thin circle of topaz at the edges and around the pupil. His eyes were wide with a crazed look, his long crooked nose's nostrils flared, and his lips, bright red with pealing chapped skin, curled outward in a crooked smirk._

_ "__What are you doing here?" Master Acchoda demanded of the man._

_ "__I'm here to take my revenge." The man sneered._

_ "__You don't have to do this, Chang." Master Acchoda replied._

_ "__Your quarrel isn't with these children, Min. Why would you hurt them like this?" Master Adao exclaimed in anguish, tears streaming down her face._

_ "__Because, I know it will hurt those who ridiculed me more then it will hurt them." The man sneered out. He quickly pointed two fingers at Master Acchoda, and before anyone could do anything about it, a sharp bolt of lightning was sent straight to Master Acchoda's heart. When the powerful substance made contact with Master Acchoda's chest, he immediately dropped to the ground._

_ "__NOOO!" Master Adao screamed in anguish. Kai let out a strangled sob. The man, Min Chang, then turned to Master Adao and stood, bringing his fist back and–_

"AGH!" Kai woke with a wail. She tried to take a deep breath, but found it wasn't possible. _I can't breathe! Why can't I breathe?!_

"Kai!" A familiar voice exclaimed concerned. She looked over to the voice. _Bolin_. "What's wrong?" He asked. Kai kept trying to breathe.

"Tenzin!" another familiar voice exclaimed. _Mako_. Her brain reminded her.

"What is it?" The older man exclaimed worriedly.

"She woke up screaming and crying," _Crying?_ Kai then sensed the wetness on the left side of her face that was only getting worse. "And she can't stop hyperventilating." Mako explained.

"Criminy," he whispered in worried shock.

"Can't you do some airbending trick to get her more air or something?" Bolin asked. Kai suddenly felt the crushing sensation in her hand, her eyes cast down to see Bolin holding onto it as if his life depended on it. Had she not been hyperventilating she would have blushed profusely.

"No, but maybe Korra can try to open up her lungs more." He muttered quickly gesturing the Avatar into the room. "I'm going to contact Lin." He then rushed out of the room to the phone.

"This might feel a little weird, Kai." Korra told her and then made the water flow around her chest until it covered her entire torso. The water began to glow and soon Kai had more air to breathe. She took a huge gulp and then collapsed on her bed exhausted, her eye throbbing from her nightmare.

Everyone in the room remained quiet for almost fifteen minutes. It wasn't awkward, but no one knew how to respond to what had just happened. At some point Bolin had noticed he was crushing her hand and quickly let go with a blush. Kai opened and closed her hand, and then wiggled her fingers.

Korra finally spoke, though, "What happened?"

"I- I- I really don't want to talk about it." She whimpered out, clutching at her fringe.

Mako opened his mouth to speak, but Kai stopped him by speaking again. "I- I- I'll discuss it with Chief Bei Fong, but only what's necessary." Mako's face fell into one to say _'you know that's not going to cut it.'_ "I'm not going to relive that twice in one day."

"You don't have to." The voice of Chief Bei Fong filled the room. Mako stood to recognize his commanding officer's presence in the doorway.

Bei Fong walked into the room, assessing Kai's damage. "Leave," She demanded of the three able bodied teenagers in the room.

"Yes ma'am," Bolin replied quickly before walking out of the room behind silent Korra and Mako. He looked back at Kai with a small reassuring smile, which she returned with her own pained one, and then he walked out of sight.

X

Lin studied the girl before her for a few moments. Her already pale skin was sallow, and her usually neat ponytail was half-way falling out, the girl's dark hair plaster to her face and neck with sweat. "You look–"

"Horrible," she croaked, "Yes, I know." Kai went to sit up, crossing her legs over the blanket in front of her. "I also know that my looks aren't what you came over to discuss."

Lin internally flinched at the girl's ability to switch into such a business like mode so quickly. In the back of her mind she started to wonder where she learned how to do that. "What's that insignia that was spray painted on the Sato estate?"

Kao looked down at her calloused hands, ringing her long, nimble fingers. She took a deep breath, "It represents a fire bender by the name of Min Chang and his followers."

"How do you–" Lin was cut off by Kao continuing to speak.

"The week before my tenth birthday he came to the bending school I had been attending at the time. He went tearing through the facility, burning anything and anybody in his path. And then he came into my classroom."

"He attacked your classroom?" Lin asked in angry astonishment.

"Yes," Kao replied softly. "He scarred everyone in the room, and killed both the earth bending and water bending teachers in front of us."

"Why would he–"

"Come to find out he went to school with my father and his friends/business partners. Apparently, they had done something to him to hold a terrible grudge." A single tear fell to Kao's hand.

"And you're sure it's this Min Chang's symbol?" Lin asked cautiously.

Kao looked up at Lin, tears running down the left side of her face, _only_ the left side of her face, a sneer prominent on her lips, "That's not something you easily forget!" She snapped angrily, her voice thick from her tears.

"You watch your tone young lady." Lin snapped. Kao rubbed at her left eye, and sniffled angrily.

Lin studied the girl for a moment. The girl's dark hair that was normally pulled back in a ponytail with her fringe framing her face and then also falling over her right eye was down and fell to her mid back but still covered her right eye, the one eye that was visible though was a green that had a touch of blue in them making them a striking, bright turquoise color. She had a clear, cream colored complexion that Lin remembered gracing her mother's skin.

Lin felt a wave of sadness come over her, at the thought of her mother and the thoughts of what she gave up on Orta Island a long time ago. Lin took a silent breath and let it out sadly before she nodded, "Thank you for your help." Lin told her. Kao looked back down at her lap, rubbing viciously at her left eye. "You don't have to come to the station Monday morning if you don't want to."

"Just because my past is coming back to haunt me, doesn't mean I'm going to lock myself in my room from it like some baby." She grumbled out. Lin nodded curtly and then walked out.


	12. Old Memories and The Past

Lin walked into Tenzin family's sitting room, trying to hide her exhaustion and melancholy. Korra, Mako and his brother, and Asami sat in there with Jinora, Ikki, and Tenzin, who rose at the sight of her entering the room. "How'd it go?" Tenzin asked.

"How was she?" Korra asked concernedly.

"What'd she say?" Mako furthered the questioning.

"The symbol represents the firebender Min Chang, she said he attacked her village when she was younger and that's how she recognized it." Tenzin gestured to a chair, and she sat down in it.

Lin rested her elbows on her knees. "I know she's stubborn Lin, but sh–"

"She's not the problem," Lin sighed, "Some things from long ago have been troubling me lately, it's nothing you need concern yourself with, old friend." Lin ran her hand over her face. "I'm going to head home," Lin stood.

"Won't you stay for dinner?" Pema offered, walking into the room, baby Rohan in her arms.

"I have a lot of work to attend to, but thank you, Pema." Lin told her and then exited her childhood friend's – ex-boyfriend's – house. _No!_ Lin snapped at herself internally. _Not right now._ Pema nodded solemnly and watched as Lin walked out the door.

Lin walked down to the docks, her metalbending uniform and thoughts weighing down on her. She stepped onto the ferry and stood at the railing as it sailed across the water. Once the ferry docked, she got off and made her way to her apartment.

"Ahahahaha!" She heard a kid laughing and was soon shoved out of the way by some street kids running down the street.

"Sorry 'bout dem Chief Bei Fong," someone spoke from behind Lin. She turned around to see the boy who hung around Kao and Bolin. "I heard Kai passed out at the Sato Estate this morning." He commented casually.

"Yes, she did, what of it?" Lin snapped.

The kid stopped in his easy going stroll, "I was just going to ask if she was alright," he grumbled.

Lin sighed, "She's awake, but shaken up." The boy nodded, visibly worried for the girl he made a friend in, he went to walk off. "She seemed like she wanted some company, why don't you go visit her." Lin told him.

"Yeah, maybe." The boy muttered and walked off.

Lin sighed and continued to walk into her apartment building. She walked up the stairs and to her apartment door. She unlocked it and made her way inside. She metalbended her uniform off, and collapsed on her couch with a groan.

The upsetting memories that had resurfaced in Lin's head while interrogating Kao had caused the unsettling memory of her failed relationship with the former Avatar's youngest son to come to the surface as well. More specifically, the day he broke up with her –

_Back then, it was the beginning of Lin's career, and she could be found at the police station more often than not. Contrarily, though, that specific day, Lin had the day off and was spending it on Air Temple Island with Tenzin._

_They were presently walking across the bridge that led to the meditation grounds, and Tenzin was slowing to a stop. Lin furrowed her brow, "What is it?" She asked the airbender._

_ "__We need to talk," he sighed, bracing his hands against the railings of the bridge._

_ "__About what?" she crossed her arms across her chest, shifting her weight to one leg, her eyebrow raised._

_ "__You and I both know we've been growing a part for a while,"_

_ "__Excuse me?" Lin demanded._

_ "__And with the way our careers seem to be taking us," Tenzin continued to speak, "I think it'd be better if…" Tenzin took a deep breath._

_ "__If what?" Lin narrowed her eyes._

_ "__If we went our separate ways," Tenzin finished, side glancing at Lin._

_Lin filled with anger as the back of her eyes pricked. "Lin I know it'll be hard, and I'm really s–"_

_ "__Save it," Lin spat, storming off._

_ "__Lin please," Tenzin hurried after the girl._

_ "__I! SAID! _SAVE _IT!" Lin flicked her wrist and the bridge rose up and landed on top of Tenzin. After doing that Lin quickly ran for the ferry to get back to town, not realizing the walkway and other pieces of Earth on the island were coming up with the movement of her feet._

_ "__Lin!" she heard her mother demand from behind her. Confused, Lin turned around to face her mother, trying to hide the fact that she was near tears. "I've been meaning to talk to y– What happened?" Her mother demanded angrily._

_Lin rubbed at her eyes, "I-It's nothing, what did you need?"_

_ "__Qing-Yuan Kao and his son are coming into town and I wanted you to lead the security detail." Her mother told her. "Now what upset you?"_

_ "__H-He broke up with me," Lin sniffled. Toph's face fell into one of caring. This was a side that only came out in front of Lin, and it gave Lin permission to wrap herself in her mother's arms in tears._

_After standing there for a few moments, Lin pulled away, having realized they were still on Air Temple Island. As she looked forward, she saw something that made her seethe in anger. Tenzin was sitting on a bench with one of the island's air nomads, sliding a flower into her hair while the girl giggled._

_ "__Ugh!" Lin sent a giant rock sailing towards their bench. Tenzin glanced up to where it came from and, unfortunately for him, met Lin's eye, his face visibly paled._

_ "__Let's go to the mainland," Lin spoke softly, "I need to get out of here."_

_ "__Of course," her mother replied, throwing an arm over her daughter's shoulder and walking onto the ferry boat with Lin._

It was later that day, while on the job, that she had met the boy who would be the man who ruined relationships for her forever.

_Dour Kao was a charming young man, good-looking and skilled with words. He had come with his father to Republic City to try and convince Cabbage Corp. to invest in his family's company. He was able to do that and succeeded in receiving a very hefty investment. It was all those qualities that made Lin immediately despise him._

_He had come out of the meeting, and had strolled up to the first girl who seemed good enough for him. Which, apparently, had been Lin. "So, sweetheart, what's got you in such a bad mood?" he inquired with a cocky grin._

_ "__That's none of your business, Mr. Kao, and _don't_ call me sweetheart." She snapped in reply._

_ "__Aw, come on, don't be s–"_

_ "__Dour," Qing-Yuan snapped as he walked out of the building the meeting had been held in. "Leave the girl alone, it's obvious she's not interested in your pathetic flirting attempts." Lin raised an eyebrow in shock at the way Qing-Yuan spoke to his son._

_Dour sighed angrily at his father's words, "It was nice meeting you…" Dour trailed off as he held out his hand, asking for her name._

_ "__Bei Fong," Lin replied, her first mistake, "Lin Bei Fong."_

Lin groaned angrily, "Why now? Why are these memories surfacing after so long? Mother, I wish you were here." Lin sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. She stood, her body aching, and decided it was time for her to go to sleep.


	13. Friends and Letters

Skoochy stepped off the ferry boat and onto Airbender Island cautiously. He looked around and was immediately assaulted by a blast of wind. He looked to where the blast had come from and saw a girl maybe a year or two younger than him coming down from the air.

She landed in front of him, a scrutinizing look on her face. She wore air acolyte clothing, and her dark hair pinned up in a bun, some fringe that came to just above her chin framing her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I came to see Kai," he told her calmly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"How do you know her?" she demanded.

"I'm the one who showed her around the city when she first got here." Skoochy replied.

"So you were with her when she stumbled upon us being cornered by the Triple Triads," She whispered.

Skoochy nodded, ashamed that he had been too scared of the triads to try and help Kai save the airbender girl or her younger sister.

"Come on," She muttered, "she's in her room."

After walking along one of the paths that led to the airbender's home, Skoochy decided he needed to say something. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Wh- what for?" the girl asked him confused.

"For not trying to help Kai that night," he muttered.

"I- It's not your fault," she muttered, "and I don't blame you for anything. The Triple Threats are terrifying for most adults in Republic City, much less kids our age."

Skoochy's nose scrunched up at the term kid, and was about to retort, but he was cut off by the girl speaking again. "You know, I never got your name." her tough, slightly know-it-all demeanor was back.

"Skoochy," She raised an eyebrow in disbelief for a moment, "And you are?"

"Jinora," she replied easily. "And we're here. I'll show you to Kai's room." They walked into the house hold and down a hallway. They made a right turn into a room, and Skoochy saw a worn out Kai leant up against her head board, her usually pulled back hair falling down to her mid back.

X

"Hey kid," Kai spoke as she saw Jinora walk in with Skoochy.

"Don't call me kid," Skoochy retorted.

"I'll leave you two alone," Jinora spoke before leaving the room.

"How ya feeling?' Skoochy asked the girl as he took a seat in the chair at her bed side.

"Been better," she told him, "but I've also been worse." Skoochy chuckled at her nonchalance.

"You get any new jobs recently?" He asked her.

"Yeah, there's a store owner who wants to know who keeps breaking into his shop every night. Told him I'd check it out tomorrow, wanna come?"

"Are you sure you'll be able to?" Skoochy asked worriedly. Kai was the first person to take a legit interest in him as a person, seeing some form of worth and merit in him. He was grateful for that, and he didn't want her to strain or hurt herself.

"I'll be fine," she told him with a smile. "Speaking of jobs, though, I have something for you." She reached for a bag on the other side of the bed. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a pouch.

"The lady whose husband was cheating on her paid be the other day. That's your cut." Kai explained as she passed him the small pouch, "and I wouldn't feel okay not splitting the earnings with you, because you helped me out a lot." Skoochy's eyes grew wide in surprise as he stared at the pouch of yuans in his hand.

"The ferry's going to be closing soon, you should probably get home." Jinora said as she walked back into the room.

Skoochy nodded, smiled in thanks at Kai, and then walked out of the room. "Don't spend it all in one place!" Kai called after him. Jinora followed after the boy to show him back to the dock.

As soon as Skoochy was gone Bolin came barging pretending to be playing a trumpet. "What are you doing?" Kai laughed at her friend.

"Your mail, m'lady." Boling bowed, extending a very clean and pristine envelope out her. Kai took the letter with a chuckle and read who it came from,

_Troy Bainbridge_

_435 Main Street_

_Orta Island_

"So, how much did you give him?" Bolin asked as he walked into the room and took Skoochy's seat.

"250 yuans," she replied as she went to read the Troy's letter.

_Friday, May 9_

_So I heard you were in Republic City, Kao. That took some guts, showing up your father like that. Dimitri says he's pissed, too. I've actually been in Republic City for the last couple of weeks for some stuff my dad needed me to take care of, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about._

_Do you think we could meet up some time? Say, 7:00, Monday morning, at the fruit stand in the Main Street park for breakfast? I really need your help on something._

_I hope you're causing just as much trouble as you always do, Kao._

_My best wishes,_

_Troy Bainbridge_

Kai tossed the letter onto the night stand with a roll of her eyes. "Who's this Tory Bainbridge, guy?" Bolin asked snatching the letter from the nightstand. "He givin' you trouble? Need me to rough 'im up a bit?" Bolin made some air punches for emphasis.

"He's cool, Bo," Bolin raised an eyebrow, "He's a friend from Orta."

Bolin went ridged for a moment, "Was he one of the ones who was–"

"Burned?" Kai asked him, "Yeah, his right peck, can't feel a thing there anymore."

They sat in silence for a moment after that, but, it was soon interrupted by Bolin speaking again. "I was really worried about you today." He muttered.

"I heard." She spoke softly.

"It was scary, you know. You were all easy going and then you see this symbol and you're shaking you're so terrified, and I'd never seen you so visibly shaken before." Bolin told her.

"I'm sorry I scared you so badly," Kai whispered.

"It's not your fault," Bolin told her. "It's Min Chang's," Kai looked to him confused, and saw a look so angry that she almost slid back "And no matter what it takes I'm going to help you take him down, I promise." He told her unwaveringly. Kai could tell there was no talking him out of this fight, no matter how dangerous the man was.

Not sure how to respond, she searched his sparkling green eyes with her green with a tinge of blue ones for any doubts he had. Not seeing any she wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his chest. He was stunned for a moment, but returned the gesture by wrapping his strong arms around her in return. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely.


	14. A Friend's Escapades and Arrests

Kai spotted Troy at a bench by the fruit stand with two pineapple spears and an artistically sliced mango in a flower shaped cup. She quickly walked across the peaceful, grassy grounds to her friend and sat down beside him. Without a word he extended the mango to her.

"So, what do you need friend?" she asked as she picked a slice of mango off and ate it.

"My dad wants to know who attacked the Sato estate." He told her quickly and only loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"Why?"

"They were big business partners with my dad, and he wanted to fix the tangled business ties that they had. That's why I'm here. We can't do that if Asami's too scared to come out of her bedroom on Air Temple Island." Troy told her.

"Uh-huh, well…" Kai trailed off.

"Please, Kai," Troy begged.

"Truth is, Troy," Kai sighed. "I already know who did it."

"How?" he asked surprised.

"I got into some trouble with the police, and have been working off community service hours at the station. The morning after the attack I went to the attack sight and helped a friend of mine's brother who's a cop." Kai explained.

"Who did it?" he asked, "Was it one of the triads?"

"No," Kai replied, getting slightly irritated that he kept asking questions, and wasn't giving her enough time for her to tell him who it was.

"Are you sure, because I know that the family has a bad history with the Agni K–"

"It wasn't the Agni Kai's, Troy!" Kai snapped angrily, cutting him off. "It was Min Chang."

Troy froze.

"I have to go; I'm supposed to be at the station by eight. Thanks for breakfast." Kai shoved her hands into her pant pockets and began to walk off

"You're absolutely positive that it was him?" Troy asked, running to catch up with her.

"Yes," She replied shortly.

"That's not good Kai," Troy whispered to her.

"Well, obviously." Kai snipped.

"No, I mean, it's _really_ not good, Kai." Troy replied, and Kai knew that he was truly scared now, because he didn't have a snide comment for her in return. "Min Chang or his followers or both, I'm not really sure, have been making small strikes on the beaches of Orta recently. If he's striking Republic City now…" Troy looked at her

"That means he's not after our parents anymore," Kai muttered in conclusion as they approached the Police Station.

"It means he has a bigger plan than we thought," Troy told her in reply as they reached the door.

"It means he's declaring," she whispered scared. Tory nodded. "I'll try and tell Chief Bei Fong," she told Troy. "But I don't know how much she'll believe, coming from me."

"You do that," Troy told her. "See you soon." He kissed her on the cheek and walked off as Kai walked into the station.

"Someone's got a boyfriend," Lu and Gang sang tauntingly as Kai approached her desk.

"Cut the crap, you two." She snapped at them. "Is there a database of newspapers and tabloids around here, or am I going to have to dig through the trash?"

"That filing cabinet over there holds the tabloids," Gang pointed at a filing cabinet right in front of Bei Fong's office, "And the racks across from it are the last few months' newspapers.

"Thanks," she replied bitterly and walked over to them.

_Meanwhile, with Lu and Gang…_

Lu and Gang stared after their secretary. After a few moments of shocked silence, Gang spoke: "Am I the only one who thought that was eerily similar to–"

"Bei Fong?" Lu cut his friend off. "It was definitely creepy how similar she acted."

_Meanwhile, with the Chief…_

Lin watched as Kao knelt down in front of the file cabinet that held all of the most recent tabloids. She raised an eyebrow at the act, and decided to go and see what the girl was doing.

Lin then stood from her desk and walked over to the door. She opened it and stood just outside of it looking down at the girl, her arms crossed across her chest and feet spread shoulder width apart. "What are you doing now, Kao?" Lin asked the girl.

Kao pulled out a single tabloid magazine from the drawer and then looked up at Lin. "My friend Troy asked me to figure out who attacked the Sato house. Before I told him anything I asked why, and he told me it's because his father wanted to reconnect business ties with Asami, but he's a terrible liar and I could straight through him. So, I am trying to figure out why." She looked down at the cover of the tabloid she held and saw a picture of a tall, dark haired boy wearing a white coat that went to his knees, with his arms wrapped around Asami Sato's waist.

"Troy Bainbridge, you dog." Kao chuckled, and then put the tabloid back where she got it from.

X

Kai stood and met Bei Fong's gaze that she still had set on her. "Do you need anything else?" She asked and Bei Fong nodded in reply.

"Follow me," Bei Fong walked off towards the door, and Kai had an overwhelming sense of dread wash over her. They were going back to the Sato Estate.

Or so Kai had thought. Instead, they arrived at the dodgier end of town at _The __Shōjo_ on 76th street. Kai furrowed her brows and looked to the Chief of Police. "You gonna like shut them down for the age policy thing?"

"Yes," Bei Fong replied shortly.

"Wait…I'm only here for you to keep an eye on me, aren't I?" Kai replied suspiciously.

Bei Fong looked down at her, her face hardened. Kai was suspecting she was trying to hide her shock at her perceptiveness.

X

"Tenzin asked you didn't he?"

"He didn't want you having another panic attack." Lin replied to Kao's question.

"I had a panic attack because _that symbol_ represents the reason every bender my age in my home town has a burn that cut so deep it caused nerve damage." Kao spoke angrily, her temper obviously flaring, "_That symbol_ represents why my ex-boyfriend has bare minimum movement in his left soldier. _That symbol_ represents why my ex's best friend can't feel his right peck. _That symbol_ represents why my best friend is emotionally scarred because her father and firebending teacher came storming into her school, killed two people in front of her, burned her friends, and burned her so she no longer has any use of her left hand!"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me young lady," Lin snapped angrily at the girl, sick and tired of her temper and attitude.

Kai pursed her lips and leveled Lin with a glare, "_That symbol_ strikes fear into the hearts of everyone from the age fifteen and up, on Orta island. So believe me when I say, I am _not_ the only one who would react that way."

"Why would he come here, Ms. Kao?" Lin demanded of the girl, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're the only one who seems to know him, who's to say he's not after you?"

"He knows my father sees me as a mistake, I'm no longer any use to his plan to avenge himself." Kao replied, turning to the door that led into _The __Shōjo. _Lin lifted an eyebrow at that statement. The girl's father couldn't be that bad.The barely legal aged girl took a deep breath, and Lin watched the girl's shoulders visibly relax. "But Troy Bainbridge told me his followers have been attacking the beaches of Orta Island for the last three weeks. If he's started attacking places of renown in Republic City, then that means he no longer wants to avenge himself against our parents, he's become crazed and power hungry. That symbol is no longer an ID or a calling card. It's Min Chang declaring war."


	15. Kidnapping and Declarations War

"You sure you want to walk home alone?" Troy whispered into her ear before nibbling gently on her lobe.

"I'll be fine," she replied with a giggle.

"You positive?" Troy continued to question her.

"Yes, Troy, I'm positive."

"Seriously, Asami, the guy that attacked your house, he's not a nice man. I don't want you getting hurt." He told her pulling her tighter into him.

"I know," Asami replied, "I'll be careful. The fairy docks are only a block away." Asami then stood on her tip toes and pressed a goodbye kiss to Troy's lips. "Good night," she whispered.

"Good night," he told her with a smile, before letting her pull away and walk off. He watched her turn the corner before beginning to walk up his stairs to his apartment that he was staying in while he was in Republic City. He was just about to unlock his door when he heard Asami scream.

He leapt to the bottom of the stairwell, skipping them all, and took off down the street at top speed. He rounded the corner, nearly tripping over a fire hydrant that was smack dab in the middle of the walkway, and found two thugs trying to drag Asami into a van. "Hey!" he called after them, making the fire hydrant explode with the clenching of his left fist. And with precise skill that Asami's assailants had only seen in one other person, Troy was surfing down the street on a steady stream of water.

He landed on the ground in front of them, and made the water stream come around him in a wide circle. One of Asami's assailants let go of the non-bending girl, and began throwing blasts of fire at Troy, who deflected them with ice shards he projectiled out of the ring of water that flowed around him.

Troy's attempt to save his girlfriend was in vain, though, because as soon as Troy turned to try and hit the assailant that still had a hold of Asami, the one he was fighting head on aimed a well-placed kick to his head. And everything went black. The last thing he saw? Min Chang's symbol tattooed on the man's hand.

X

"What happened?" Lin demanded as she shoved past Mako and Bolin, and over to Kao who was crouching over an unconscious dark haired boy with the white coat that had been on the tabloid with Asami Sato.

"Come on, Troy, wake up." Kao urged the boy, shaking his shoulder gently.

"We don't know," Mako told her. "We were walking to the station when we found him past out in the middle of the sidewalk. Kai knew him so we stopped."

"He's going to hate me for this," Lin heard Kao mutter.

"What exactly is he going to hate you f–" SMACK! Before Lin had been able to finish her sentence, Kao had smacked the boy across the face.

"No!" he shot up, and then looked around wildly. "No, no, no, no, NO!" he pounded the sidewalk with an angry fist.

"Troy," the boy kept screaming no, "Troy, look at me!" Kao snapped authoritatively as she grabbed his chin and forced his face to align with her. There was a silenced for a few moments as the boy calmed down, and then Kao spoke again, "Troy, what happened?"

"They got her," he muttered sadly, "The got Asami."

"Who got her?" Lin demanded.

The boy, Troy apparently, met Lin's eyes with his dark blue ones with a hollow look that made her worry for his emotional well-being, "Min Chang's men." He replied.

"He is starting a war," Lin muttered to herself. "Get your friend up, Kao." The girl nodded and helped the boy stand. "We're going to Air Temple Island," she told the four teenagers.

"To do what?" Troy bit out sourly, now angry.

"To discuss what to do about the situation with Tenzin." Kao explained to her friend. "No matter what though, we're going to find Asami." She tried to reassure her friend.

"You better," He sneered at Kao. "Or I'm holding you personally accountable."

"Oh, you're being a jackass," Kao responded, letting go of the boy's arm, allowing him to stumble to try and catch his balance. "It must be an even numbered day; I do so prefer the odd numbered days when you're_ kissing my ass_ for a favor." Troy glared at Kao, who just smirked and began to walk off on her own, leaving Mako and Bolin to help the boy up. Lin would have scolded the girl for what she did, but in all honesty, she thought the boy deserved it.

X

"What?!" Tenzin exclaimed, outraged by the news.

The group was all gathered in the sitting room. Tenzin and Pema (with a sleeping Rohan in her arms) were sharing a love seat, with Bei Fong across the coffee table from them in a lounge chair, Troy was seated with the airbending kids on the couch that was to the left of the love seat, and Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Kai were seated across the coffee table from the group on the couch cross legged on the floor. "Why are they even here?" Pema asked, scared.

"Because Min Chang is a power hungry di…dumdum," Troy originally spoke venomously, but that tapered off as he corrected himself from using foul language in front of small children.

"Good save," Jinora told Troy, patting him on the arm.

"I hate to ask the obvious question," Kai spoke, "But, what do we do?"

"Well, my assumption is that–" Troy was cut off by a messenger hawk tapping its beak against the window that looked into the sitting room.

Tenzin furrowed his brow in confusion and went outside to receive the message. He glared angrily at the bird when it bit him, and the swatted it away. When he came back in, he unrolled the scroll and read it aloud.

"_My dearest victims,_" Kai and Bei Fong sneered at the opening. "_By now, I assume you know that your friend has been taken. If you want her back, you have two options. One: you can hand over Republic City to me, and she leaves unscathed or Two: you can send the Avatar and her little band of friends to fight me on Orta Island._

"_If you choose option two, then I will be waiting for you. You have until the evening of Thursday, June 1 to hand over Republic City, or I assume you have chosen to attack and your friend won't come out so unscathed._

"_I await to see your answer, Avatar, my victims, yours truly, Min Chang._" Everyone in the room sat quietly for a moment, and then Korra stood up. Her expression was angry. Kai and Troy soon joined her.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Korra exclaimed, "We need to get ready to head to Orta Island!"

"Korra, please think about this," Tenzin began to try and reason with the Avatar.

"I don't know what there is to think about Tenzin," Bei Fong spoke, "you are handing over this city over my dead body. Prep the sky bison," She ordered her childhood friend as she stood, "We leave at dawn." Bei Fong then left for her apartment in the city.

Everyone then went to go to their own rooms to pack what they needed.


	16. Goodbyes and Teenagers in Small Spaces

**A/N: Normally, I don't write a disclaimer, because I think that they're pretty pointless to fanfiction. I mean, if you're writing fanfiction, it's obvious that you don't own any of it. In this situation though, I feel the need to.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra, nor did I steal the name of Kai from them.**

**I started writing this story before season 2 started, and only started posting now because I knew i was invested enough to finish the story. I do that, because I hate being one of those writers who posts a story and then never finishes it, and just lets it sit there ****permanently****"in-progress"**

**Now that that's over and done with, on with the story.**

* * *

"Why, again, did we have to leave this early in the morning?" Korra groaned as she tried to climb onto the sky bison. "The morning is evil."

"No one wanted to disagree with Chief Bei Fong," Mako replied with a yawn.

"Yeah, because she's scary." Bolin commented.

"_What_, was that, Bolin?" The voice of Lin spoke from behind them.

"Oh, oh, so he gets to go by his first name, but all I get is Kao?" Kao exclaimed from her spot on Oogi's saddle, "That's nice," she groused, "Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Chief. Thanks." Lin raised her eyebrow at the girl.

"She's a very sarcastic person in the morning," Tenzin replied as he went to help his old friend with her stuff.

Currently, Korra, Mako, Kai, Bolin, and Troy were sitting on the sky bison. All of them were falling asleep on each other, and Tenzin and Lin couldn't help but share a look. "This is going to be a long trip." Tenzin commented.

"Agreed," Lin commented and then they climbed onto the Oogi, and got comfortable.

"Bye daddy!" Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo called out from the ground waving.

"I love you!" Pema called out as she waved, "Be safe!"

"I love you too!" Tenzin replied before taking the reins of his sky bison. "Oogi, yip yip!" And with that, the group of seven took off into the sky and was flying towards Orta.

X

"Quit elbowing me, Korra!" Mako groused.

"I'd stop elbowing you if you'd stop invading my space!" Korra argued.

"Would both of you shut up!" Troy snapped angrily.

"Hey!" Korra and Mako both turned on the waterbender that hadn't known for very long, "Just because your girlfriend got kidnapped doesn't mean you have to take it out on a happy couple like us!"

"Hey, hands to yourselves back there!" Tenzin yelled authoritatively.

"But we weren't touching anything," Bolin protested in defense of him in Kao, who hit him in the arm. "Hey," he whined, "What was that for?"

"Don't argue," she groused.

"Hey," Mako snapped at Kao, "Don't snap at my brother!"

"Don't tell me what do, hot head, I'm older than you!" Kao exclaimed angrily.

"Yeah, in age, your maturity level is that of a five-year-old."

"You wanna go, pretty boy?!" Kao exclaimed angrily, going to stand up.

"Everybody shut up!" Lin exclaimed.

Everybody shrunk back into their seats. It had been a week and a half since they started their journey, which meant that they had eight days until Min Chang started to hurt Asami. It was fairly early on in the afternoon, and everyone in the saddle was extremely irritable. They were running out of supplies, they were cramped up, and they were all sick of being in such close proximity of each other.

"We're stopping in a small city that's not far from the Northern Air Temple." Tenzin told the group as they descended. "Don't destroy it please." He spoke as Oogi's feet touched the ground.

"Okay!"

"Got it!"

"Got it!"

"Understood!"

"Yes sir!"

And with their replies, the group of teenagers was off. "Be back before sun down!" Tenzin called after them.

"Okay!" Kao replied with a wave before they were out of ear shot.

X

"I don't see why we had to stop here. We should've just kept on going." Troy groused.

The group had set up camp in the middle of some woods on the outskirts of the town they had landed by. They were all sat around a fire in a circle. Mako sat closest to it, making sure it didn't go out. Korra sat on Mako's right, with Bolin to his left, but a little farther back. Kao sat on his left, and Troy was to the left of her. Tenzin and Lin sat across from the group of five. Spaced out far enough from each other, so that you could tell they were just friends.

"Look, man," Mako began irritably, "We get that you're ups–"

"Don't get your wrappings in a twist, hot head. What we need least right now is an argument between two stubborn people breaking out in the middle of the woods." Kao snapped at Mako in reply, and then spoke to her friend with a softer tone, "The reason we had to stop, Troy, is because we were running low on supplies and needed to restock, and between the edge of the Earth Kingdom/Northern Air Temple and Orta is water and uninhabited islands. I get that you're upset about Asami, I really do, but you really need to stop complaining about everything we do. We're all tired and irritable from the trip, and want to save Asami just as much as you do. Ok?"

Troy sighed and gave a small nod, "Ok." He muttered.

Lin raised her eyebrows, impressed at the girl's ability to speak to him in a way that handled the delicate situation so easily. Lin's musings about how well Kao handled the situation so well were cut off by the realization of what the girl said. The only thing between where they were sitting and Orta Island was a small amount of wide-open ocean. The queasy feeling of nervousness filled her stomach at the idea of setting foot on that island after so many years. _What if _she _was there? What if she _knew_ who she was?_ What would Lin do then if those things were to happen? The Chief of Republic City's Police didn't know the answer to those questions, and that's what made her really nervous, because for the first time in a long time, she didn't know how to react to any scenario that she created in her mind. Knowing that, she became even queasier.

"I think it's about time we go to sleep." Lin spoke, the same time as Kao apparently decided to say,

"I think I'm gonna turn in for the night." Lin met Kao's eyes, and the girl muttered a quiet, "Sorry, Chief," before walking off to where she had set up her sleeping bag and crawling into it.


	17. Bei Fong and Her Orta Island Experience

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra, nor did I steal the name of Kai from them.**

* * *

It was barely even sunrise, but Lin hadn't been able to sleep for hours. Her mind was too heavy with the memories she associated with Orta Island. She had been up the last hour and a half trying to shake the terrible memories that she kept reliving, and most of them she could push away by thinking about how to best deal with more of the five teenagers' arguments on Oogi, but there was one that kept coming back to her. What made her experience there so bad:

_Lin had stayed somewhere within the proximity of the Kao's, but only ever had the suggested amount of space between her and them, same went for every other officer on the security detail. She wore the same uniform as every other officer, and was even wearing the damned helmet that she hated. She supposed that his ability to find her in a crowd was what made her soften towards him in the first place, but how Dour Kao had singled her out from all of the other officers, despite all of her attempts to blend in, was beyond her._

_He was able to do it, though, and that was fact. The way he went about getting her attention though, wasn't how most boys daring enough to try and ask out Chief Toph Bei Fong's daughter did it, and it damn sure wasn't even remotely close to how Tenzin had done it. No, Dour Kao went about catching her attention by asking her mother to let her be his personal body guard back on Orta Island._

_Originally, she was as wholly against the idea as her mother. Then she had a fight with Tenzin over how she reacted to their break up and to seeing him with Pema later into the day that he had had his father propose the idea. So, wanting to get away from Republic City after that, she told her mother she would take the job, saying that it was so they could keep good relations with the important family, and because she needed to get away from Republic City for a while._

_Although Lin didn't set foot in Republic City for a little more than a year, she had only been on Orta Island for three months. Well, three months and a day to be more accurate, but that's really irrelevant._

_Lin worked as Dour's body guard, and may or may not have fell into a relationship with him after a while of spending almost every waking hour of the day with him. They were together for two months, one week, and three days before he did the unbelievable to her._

_Two months, one week, and a day into their relationship he convinced her to have a drink and relax a little at one of his father's parties. He got her really talking, and laughing, and a lot more comfortable in a situation like the one they were in, and while doing so, he slowly fed her alcoholic beverage after alcoholic beverage. To put things a bit more simply, Dour Kao got Lin drunk right under her nose. And after she was well and truly smashed, Lin is ashamed to say, she doesn't remember much from the party._

_She does remember the hangover the next day though. That hangover was a bitch, and she couldn't leave the apartment she had above a smoothie shop all day it was so bad. She could barely move without the need to be sick rising in her stomach, she could barely think without her head pounding, and she couldn't open her eyes without the room spinning. Yet, somehow, she managed to make it to the bathroom, hurl up the contents of her stomach, and then draw herself a steaming hot bath that she all but fell into once the tub was full._

_After her shower and smoothie from down stairs, the night slowly came back to her. All except what happened after Dour shut her bedroom door. To this day Lin isn't sure if she was unconscious or if she just completely blocked the act out of her mind. She's still completely ashamed of the act she knows comes after the closing of Dour's bedroom door._

_Lin approached Qing-Yuan Kao about her resignation the next morning after buying a ticket to Gao Ling in the Earth Kingdom and, while apologizing profusely for it being so sudden, she told him she would be leaving working for him and Orta Island immediately._

_She confronted Dour about what happened to them after that, having told Qing-Yuan that she had wanted to tell him herself._

_ "__Kao!" She barked out as she arrived in his room after speaking to her dad, "Did you get me drunk last night?!" She demanded._

_ "__Yeah," he replied easily. She paused for a second at that, astounded by how forthcoming about it he was. She then sneered. "Oh, get over it, Lin."_

_She barked out a laugh, "I don't know what you thought this was, Kao, but whatever it is, is over."_

_ "__That's great, you're still going to have to see me every day, make sure I don't 'get in to any trouble.'" He mocked her._

_ "__No," she smirked cruelly at him, "I don't. I already told your father I was resigning, effective immediately. I leave tonight on a boat to the Earth Kingdom." She then turned on heel and stormed out of the Kao family home, but, not without a stomp on the ground that had his room collapsing in on its self._

X

Kai woke at the sunrise to Bei Fong already loading up the supplies onto Oogi. She rubbed her eyes and wiggled out of her sleeping bag. She rolled it up and walked over to the supplies. "Do you want some help?" She asked Bei Fong groggily.

The woman looked up at Kai shocked for a moment, whether it was at her offer to help or the girl being up in general, Kai didn't know. Soon, though, Chief Bei Fong nodded, and said, "Yes, thank you." And that was the only set of words exchanged between the two the entire time they loaded the supplies onto the sky bison other than Bei Fong telling her where things should go.

* * *

**A/N: I teared up writing this chapter. I hated doing that to Lin, because she's such a strong character and she's my favorite character so I love her to pieces. Yet, in my defense, it's the only way I really truly saw her getting pregnant as plausible, because I feel like she's the type to be emotionally invested in a relationship to go that far with someone, otherwise, and the possibility of it being a Linzin baby isn't very plausible, because I think that Tenzin would be the type to wait until marriage to go that far with someone.**

**Also, thank you for continuing to read my story, hope you enjoyed these chapters.**

**Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!**

**Post to you later,**

**~Wrote Too Soon**


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